Ball.



W. W. WEATHER.

BALL.

APBLIOATION FILED MAY 5, 1908.

- Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

[one direction only, or to remain perfectly formed through each spherewhich, when ,inafter described and claimed, and illus WILLIAM WORTHWEATHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BALL. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Application filed May 5, 1908. Serial No. 431,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. WEATHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Ball, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to gyroscopic balls and has for its object toprovide a ball especially designed for use by jugglers, acrobats andother aerial performers and which may also be used as a toy forchildren, and for other purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball which may be madeto roll in any direction on a surface, or to roll in still and resistall efforts made to move it either on a surface or on a stretched wireor cord, in the latter case without falling off. This object isaccomplished by the use of two concentric spheres independentlyrotatable one within the other, and a wheel provided with a heavy rimmounted on a shaft journaled inside the inner sphere. A connecting meansof any approved type is attached to the outer sphere by which the twospheres may be fastened together at will so as to revolve as one. A holeis brou ht into coincidence, ofi'er a passage for the introduction of ameans for rotating the wheel with great rapidity.

*With this and other objectsin View, the invention consists of the novelcombination, eonstguction and arrangement of parts heretrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of agyroscopic ball constructed in accordance with my invention, portionsthereof being broken terior construction of the same. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional viewshowing the manner of locking the inner sphere to the outer sphere thesection being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters are used for the same arts-in all thefigures.

In the rawing, 1 indicates a hollow outer sphere preferably formed intwo sections A and B, and Q a concentric hollow inner sphere, alsopreferably formed in two sections E and D, the inner sphere beingseparated from the interior surface of the outer sphere by a smallspace.

The spheres 1 and 2 may be made of metal, composition or any materialsuitable for the purpose, diametrically pivoted together on pomtedscrews 3 threaded through the outer sphere 1 and seated in conicalbearings in the inner sphere, as shown, or in any other desired or moreefficient manner. A concave seat 4 is made in the inner surface of theouter sphere 1 in an equatorial line with respect to the axis of thepivot screws 3 to contain balls 5 which bear lightly against the outersurface of the inner sphere and relieve the pivot screws of the weightof said inner sphere. They also reduce friction to the minimum so thatthe spheres may revolve, relatively, to each other with great ease.-Should the spheres be made of a eomposition having slight resistancetowear, the ball seats 4 and the ball track on the inner sphere may bemade of steel.

It will be understood, of course, that the concave seat or ball-race isso shaped as to extend somewhat more than half-way around the balls, andthereby retain the same, the balls being dropped into the racewaythrough a radial opening in the sphere (not shown) which opening issubsequently closed by a suitable plug.

Within the inner sphere 2 is a shaft 8, its ends journaled in bearings 9secured to the inner surface of said sphere and carrying a wheel 10 atits middle provided with a heavy rim or periphery 11. The axis of theshaft 8 is disposed at a right angle to the 1XlS Of the pivot screws 3so that whatever relative position the spheres bear to each other, theplane passing peripherally through the center of the wheel perpendicularto the axis of its shaft will also pass through the common axis of thepivot screws 3. To fasten the two spheres'together that they may act asone, a locking device 12 1s employed which may resemble that shown forexample in Fig. 2, and more clearly in Fig. 3, or be of anyotherconstruction desired. In the looking device shown, a smallelongated slot or recess 13 is made in the exterior surface of thesphere 1, partly through its wall, 1n any convenient position, in whichslot is placed a frame 14 provided at one end with a locking pin 15, andat the other end W1th a disengaging pin 16, each pin having an enlarged5 ead.

Midway between the pins is fulcrumed a lever 17, the ends of whichengage with the pins 15 and 16, so that when one is depressed the otherwill be raised. The pin 15 extends throu h the wall of the-sphere 1 andis long enoug when depressed to enter any one of a series of depressionsor openings 18 in the outer surface of the inner sphere 2. The pin 16may, or may not, pass throughthe outer sphere as its sole object is todisengage the pin 15 from the inner sphere. To hold the pins 15 and 16in their set position, an

arm 19 may project inwardly from the lever 17 and engage with a spring20 having a rib 20 thereon to hold the end of the arm 19 fixed on oneside or the other when operated by depressing the pins and shifting thelever 17.

Apertures 22 and 23 are made in the respective spheres 1 and 2 throughwhich,

A 25 when they are brought into coincidence a strin' or other means maybe passed. for rapi ly rotating the axle and wheel. The ball may becovered with leather, rubber or other flexible material 24, whichoverliesthe 30. recess 18 and thus hides the locking device by means ofwhich the peculiar actions of the ball are controlled, it being herestated that by reason of the yieldable nature of the covering 24, thepins 15 and 16 may be readily actuated by pressing inwardly on 40 Forinstance, if the ball be placed with the axis of the pivot screws 3'1n ahorizontal position and the lock 12 disconnected, the ball may be rolledwith the greatest ease and in a erfectly straight line in a directionperpen icular to said axis, but cannotbe made to roll in a direction atan angle thereto. If the spheres are locked together, the ball cannot bemade to roll or turn in any direction other than in the ing allreasonable efio'rts to revolve it. With the spheres locked, the ball maybe placed on a stretched wire or ro e where it will remain perfectlystill or, r0 1 thereon, depending on theposition ofthe revolving wheelwith respect to the direction of the wire or rope.

Other novel and amusingthings maybe performed with a .ball of this typewithout the cause therefor being understood by an audience.

It will be understood that the s heresv are to be made in pieces andjoine in some easily separable manner, asfor instance each within. the shere.

. I plane of rotation of the 50 wheel 10, but remains perfectly still,resistsphere may be divided into hemispheres screwed together. Attentionis also called to the fact that thewheel may be rotated in a number ofways depending on the size of the ball. A string is represented in Fig.2 to illustrate one means for rotating the wheel which string maybewound around the spindle-8 by first separating the sections of theinner and outer spheres and then passing the free end of thestringthrough the openings 23 and 24, as will be readily understood. ifdesired, however, a suitable motor may be positioned within the innersphere and operatively connected with the spindle 8 for actuating thelatter, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

" What is claimed is 1. A ball comprising nested concentricindependently movable spheres, and a wheel rotatably'inounted within theinner sphere. 2. A ball comprising nested concentric independentlymovable spheres, and a Wheel adapted to rotate 'in a diametrlcal planeWithin the inner sphere.

3. A ball comprising nested concentric spheres spaced from each other,anti-friction bearings in said space a wheel adapted to rotate in adiametrical plane within the inner sphere, and means for rotating .saidwheel.

' 4. A ball comprising two concentric spheres separated by a narrowspace, antifriction. bearings within said space, pivot bearings betweenthe two spheres, and a wheel adapted to rotate in a diametrical planewithin the inner'sphere.

5. A ball comprlsing two concentric spheres, separated by a narrow spaceand independently rotatable, pivot bearings between said spheres, and awheel fixedon an axle adapted to rotate in a diametrical plane n 6. Abal comprising two concentric spheres separated by a narrow space andindependently rotatable, pivot bearings in acommon axis between saidspheres, a row of anti-friction bearings, perpendicular to the 1common-axis of the pivot bearings within the space between said spheres,and a wheel adapted to be rotated in a diametrical plane within theinner sphere perpendicular to the plane of the anti-friction bearingsand to the axis of the pivot bearings.

7. A ball comprising nested concentric independently movable spheres, awheel adapted to rotate in a diametrical plane within the inner sphere,and means'for locking the spheres together. 8. Aball comprising twoconcentric independently movable spheres, a wheel adapted to rotate in adiametrical plane'within the inner sphere, and lockmg means mounted intheouter sphere for fastening the two spheres together. i

9. A ballcomprising two concentricinde- In tesiifiony that I claim theforegoing as pendently rotatable spheres, each having a my own, I havehereto 'aifixed my signature 0 hole through its shell, which can bebrought in the presence of two witnesses.

into coincidence, a wheel fixed. on an axle WILLIAM WQRTH WEATHERadapted to rotate in a diametrical plane Within the inner sphere, andmeans capable Witnesses: of passing through said openings to rotateDAVID HAYES, said wheel. FRED; ALBERT Fox.

